Author Interview: Kathy Petrakis

Monday, 10 December 2012

About this author:(Taken from Goodreads)

Kathy Petrakis was born and raised in Sydney Australia by Greek immigrant parents. She always had a passion for the performing arts - dancing, acting and singing but they were hobbies giving way to a traditional professional career in banking. Before this book, her writing was used to entertain friends with her unusual, and often disastrous travel adventures from around the world.

By the hand of fate, Passion and Pain and Bittersweet were born while unemployed and living in London, heaven for lovers of the performing arts. At the time of publication of Passion and Pain, she was still living in London with plans to prepare for the launch of the sequel in either Sydney or New York.

For more information, visit kathypetrakis.com

Firstly, I want to thank you so much for taking the time out to appear on Reading A Little Bit of Everything today, How are you? I'm feeling pretty good thanks!

Can you tell readers 3 things about yourself they can't find online?

I am a terrible cook

I have a diploma in Building but can't nail anything together.

I am the youngest of 3 girls in my family.

Can you share with us your latest news?

My first novel, Passion and Pain (Dancers and Divas #1) has just been released on paperback. As much as I love my Kindle, it never would felt quite the same unless I felt my book in my hands.

What was the best thing about writing your book?

It was like living in another world while I wrote. I was the characters and I felt their emotions and their challenges and their hurt and pain. I really felt I was part of it. There are worse things than living in a performing arts school for five hours a day!

Do you have motto for when your writing?

Yes - just keep going. Many people stop because they are unsure about something, but I kept writing and usually the ideas would come to me eventually (usually in my sleep!

Do you have a reading haven? If so, where is it?

To be honest, I mostly read on transport - buses, trains etc. or when I'm waiting somewhere so I don't have a particular spot where I read.

How do you cope with writers block?

I don't really get writer's block. There is always something to say. The problem is whether there is anything quality in what comes out. I kept parts of text that I took out of the book. They will always start another idea. So far that hasn't been my problem thought that is not to say it always come out fluently and easily - it just sometimes takes more rework than other times!

Have any books influenced you to write?

I actually read more now than I did before. I was never tied to any particular author. I would go to the library and just pick random books - some authors I may have heard but often, I just liked the sound of the book. I liked JK Rowling's Harry Potter but I also like John Grisham and Jeffrey Archer. Jojo Meyes book that I just finished was great. But I can't say any one author or influence affected my writing style.

Do you have advice for aspiring authors?

There's not time like the present!

Do you have anything you'd like to tell readers?

Make the most of every opportunity - don't wait for another day. I wish I had started writing so much earlier! But that goes for anything in life. Today is the best day to start.

One of the things I also found as I grew with my characters in the book, is the importance of understanding yourself and accepting who you truly are. Many of my characters were doing all sorts of things to prove they were something they weren't, or to make someone love them - it was never going to end well. Everyone deserves the right sort of love and everyone deserves to be accepted for who they are.

Lastly, make the most of the enjoyment and wisdom books can bring - it is such a privilege that not everyone in the world has!

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Does passion and desire guarantee success? Can friends really be trusted? Can true love be found beneath lust and deceit?

These are questions street dancer Elena Martinez faces as she struggles to compete against the most talented students at New York’s top Performing Arts High School. Along with her best friend, the cheeky and mischievous Sebastien Duval, they are determined to make center stage.

But the singing diva Letitia has other plans. Beautiful, talented and popular, her desire for revenge could ruin everything for Elena and Sebastien. Now, they must fight against prejudice, treachery and deceit as Letitia sets out to destroy Elena’s friendships, her romance, her dignity and her dreams. Can Elena win the battle for true love, happiness and success?

Like the sound of this novel? Purchase it on Amazon!

What do you think of the interview? Like the sound of Passion and Pain? (I think it sounds absolutely fantastic)